Formation of cheese pattern when using monospecies cultures

The article presents the results of a study of the influence of monospecies gas-aroma-forming cultures Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis (L. diacetylactis) and Leuconostoc subsp. on the peculiarities of pattern formation in cheeses with a low second heating temperature molded from a layer. The studied cultures were used at a dose of 0.6% of the total milk volume as as single starter microflora in the model cheeses (1-M and 2-M) and additional microflora along with the main lactococcal microflora (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis; Lactococcus cremoris) in the control cheeses (1-K and 2-K). The model and control cheeses were subjected to microbiological tests (total number of lactic acid microorganisms, number of L. diacetylactis and Leuconostoc subsp.), physicochemical (mass fraction of moisture, pH), biochemical (mass fraction of lactose) and organoleptic studies after pressing and during ripening at the age of 15, 30, 45, 60 days. It has been established that the use of a culture of citrate-fermenting lactococci L. diacetylactis ensures a stable lactic acid fermentation process during the production and ripening of the model and control cheeses, the formation of an elastic consistency and the desired pattern with eyes of a regular round shape. The use of the hetero-fermentative culture Leuconostoc subsp., as single starter microflora, does not guarantee the required level of lactic acid fermentation during cheese production and leads to an increase in the moisture content of the cheese mass after pressing and overacidification of the cheese in the first stages of ripening, which together contributes to the formation of an overly plastic consistency and an overdeveloped pattern in the form of cracks. The use of Leuconostoc subsp. as a gas-aroma-forming component of a traditional starter culture for semi-hard cheeses, also consisting of mesophilic lactococci Lc. lactis subsp. lactis and Lc. cremoris, causes the development of a nest-like pattern, which does not fully ensure the formation of the desired pattern with regular rounded eyes.

1. McSweeney, P. L. H., Ottogalli, G., Fox, P. F. (2004). Diversity of cheese varieties: An overview. Chapter in a book: Cheese: chemistry, physics and microbiology (Vol.2). Elsevier, 2004. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1874-558X(04)80037-X

2. Fröhlich-Wyder, M.-T., Bisig, W., Guggisberg, D, Jakob, E., Turgay, M., Wechsler, D. (2017). Cheeses with propionic acid fermentation. Chapter in a book: Cheese: Chemistry, physics and microbiology. Academic Press, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-417012-4.00035-1

3. Guggisberg, D., Schuetz, P., Winkler, H., Amrein, R., Jakob, E., Frohlich-Wyder, M. T. et al. (2015). Mechanism and control of eye formation in cheese. International Dairy Journal, 47, 118-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2015.03.001

4. Frohlich-Wyder, M. T., Guggisberg, D., Bisig, W., Jakob, E., Schmidt, R. S. (2023). The total eye volume of cheese is influenced by different fat-levels. International Dairy Journal, 144, Article 105690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2023.105690

5. Gudkov, A. V. (2004). Cheese making: Technological, biological and physico-chemical aspects. Moscow: DeLi print, 2004. (In Russian)

6. Manno, M. T., Zulian, F., Alarcon, S., Esteban, L., Blancato, V., Esparis, M. et al. Magni, S. (2018). Genetic and phenotypic features defining industrial relevant Lactococcus lactis, L. cremoris and L. lactis biovar. diacetylactis strains. Journal of Biotechnology, 282, 25-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2018.06.345

7. Decadt, H., Weckx, S., De Vuyst, L. (2024). The microbial and metabolite composition of Gouda cheese made from pasteurized milk is determined by the processing chain. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 412, Article 110557 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110557

8. Clark, S., Winter, K. K. (2015). Diacetyl in foods: A review of safety and sensory characteristics. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 14(5), 634-643. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12150

9. Smith, M. R., Hugenholtz, J., Mikochi, P., de Ree, E., Bunch, A. W., de Bont, J. A. M. (1992). The stability of the lactose and citrate plasmids in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 96(1), 7-11. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6968.1992.tb05385.x

10. Van Mastrigt, O., Di Stefano, E., Hartono, S., Abi, T., Smid, E. J. (2018). Large plasmidome of dairy Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis FM03P encodes technological functions and appears highly unstable. BMC Genomics, 19, 1-19 Article 620. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-018-5005-2

11. Laёtitia, G., Pascal, D., Yann, D. (2014). The citrate metabolism in homoand heterofermentative LAB: A selective means of becoming dominant over other microorganisms in complex ecosystems. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 5(10), 953-969. https://doi.org/10.4236/fns.2014.510106

12. Akkerman, M., Larsen, L. B., S0rensen, J., Poulsen, N. A. (2019). Natural variations of citrate and calcium in milk and their effects on milk processing properties. Journal of Dairy Science, 102(8), 6830-6841. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-16195

13. Decadt, H., De Vuyst, L. (2023). Insights into the microbiota and defects of present-day Gouda cheese productions. Current Opinion in Food Science, 52, Article 101044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2023.101044

14. Düsterhöft, E. M., Engels, W., Huppertz, T. (2017). Dutch-Type Cheeses. Chapter in a book: Global Cheesemaking Technology: Cheese Quality and Characteristics. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., 2018. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119046165.ch5

15. van Mastrigt, O., Egas, R. A., Abee, T., Smid, E. J. (2019). Aroma formation in retentostat co-cultures of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Food Microbiology, 82, 151-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2019.01.016

16. Silayeva, V.M., Zhidkikh, K.V. (2011). Assurance of pattern in cheeses with low temperature of second heating. Milk Processing, 12, 19-23. (In Russian)

17. Ostroumov, L. A., Mayorov, A. A., Nikolayeva, Ye. Е. A. (2009). Dynamics of formation of figure in cheeses. Food Processing: Techniques and Technology, 3, 19а-23. (In Russian)

18. Bansal, V., Veena, N. (2024). Understanding the role of pH in cheese manufacturing: General aspects of cheese quality and safety. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 61, 16-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-022-05631-w

19. Klimovskiy, I. I. (1966). Biochemical and microbiological foundations of cheese production. Moscow: Food Industry, 1966. (In Russian)

20. Gorbatova, K. K. (1984). Biochemistry of milk and dairy products. Moscow: Light and Food Industry,1984. (In Russian)

21. Johnson, M. E. (2017). A 100-Year Review: Cheese production and quality. Journal of Dairy Science, 100(12), 9952-9965. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-12979

22. Li, L., Chen, H., Lu, X., Gong, J., Xiao, G. (2022). Effects of papain concentration, coagulation temperature, and coagulation time on the properties of model soft cheese during ripening. LWT, 161, Article 113404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2022.113404

23. Fox, P. F., Guinee, T. P., Cogan, T. M., McSweeney, P. L. H. (2017). Enzymatic Coagulation of Milk. Chapter in a book: Fundamentals of Cheese Science. Springer, Boston, MA, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7681-9_7

24. Lamichhane, P., Auty, M. A. E., Kelly, A. L., Sheehan, J. J. (2020). Dynamic in situ imaging of semi-hard cheese microstructure under large-strain tensile deformation: Understanding structure-fracture relationships. International Dairy Journal, 103, Article 104626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2019.104626